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Disability rights
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues on the UK
in Wales
Contents
Introduction 3
UK constitutional arrangements ndash devolution of powers to Wales 3
How to read this document 3
Executive summary 5
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues on the UK 8
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4) 8
CRPD in Welsh law and policy 8
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5) 10
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties 10
Accessibility (Articles 9 21) 10
Housing 11
Transport 12
Information and communication 13
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection (Articles 19 20 26 28) 13
Poverty and material deprivation 14
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people 14
Adult social care and support 16
Independent living funding 16
Employment (Article 27) 17
Employment gap and barriers 18
Education (Articles 24 7) 19
Educational attainment and additional learning needs 19
Transition from school 20
Review of higher education funding 21
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
2
Health and life (Articles 25 10) 21
Inequalities in health access and outcomes 22
Mental healthcare services 23
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16) 24
Bullying 24
Participation in political and public life (Article 29) 25
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government 25
Annex Recommendations 26
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4) 26
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5) 26
Accessibility (Articles 9) 26
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection (Articles 19 20 26 28) 27
Employment (Article 27) 28
Education (Articles 24 7) 28
Health and life (Articles 25 10) 29
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16) 29
Participation in political and public life (Article 29) 29
Contacts 30
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
3
Introduction
This submission has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission
(EHRC) which is part of the UK Independent Mechanism and tasked under Article 33 of the
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to promote protect and
monitor implementation of the CRPD in the UK The EHRC is also a UN-accredited A-
status National Human Rights Institution
UK constitutional arrangements ndash devolution of powers to Wales
The UK Parliament has devolved various powers to the National Assembly for Wales1 The
National Assembly has powers in the 21 subjects set out in the Government of Wales Act
20062 These subjects include local government health social services housing and
education Matters including criminal justice policing welfare benefits and social security
remain the responsibility of the UK Government and Parliament
The Government of Wales Act 2006 states that Acts passed by the National Assembly for
Wales must be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights3
How to read this document
This submission provides additional up to date information and suggested questions about
disability rights in Wales that is not contained in Disability Rights in the UK We have
indicated the CRPD articles relevant to the issues raised within each sub-heading The
issues identified within this submission affect disabled people in Wales and fall within the
responsibility of the Welsh Government There is information in the supplementary England
report with regards to non-devolved matters that is also relevant to Wales We consider
1 The National Assembly for Wales was formed in 1999 following the UK Parliamentrsquos passing of the
Government of Wales Act 1998 2 National Assembly website (2016) Governance of Wales Who is responsible for what Available here
[accessed 20 December 2016] 3 National Assembly website (July 2011) Legislative powers of the National Assembly for Wales p 24
available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
4
these problems to be especially pressing for disabled people in Wales and we recommend
the CRPD Committee considers this information in its preparation of the List of Issues in
relation to the UK
We have also included an annex with recommendations of the measures the Welsh
Government should take to promote and protect disabled peoplersquos rights We will review
these recommendations at the same time as the recommendations in Disability Rights in
the UK ahead of the Committeersquos public examination of the UK In doing so we will take
into account the views of disabled people and information provided by the Welsh
Government in response to the List of Issues
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
5
Executive summary
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Some developments in Welsh law and policy could help to advance implementation of the
CRPD such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The Welsh government should improve compliance with the CRPD by enhancing the status
of the CRPD in Welsh law
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Monitoring has shown that the Public Sector Equality Duty (the general duty) in the Equality
Act 2010 is working effectively in Wales Its implementation is supported by Wales-specific
duties which should be used to promote and protect the CRPD in Wales
Accessibility (Article 9 21)
There are challenges for disabled peoplersquos access to housing in Wales Some measures in
place could help to address this including Accessible Housing Registers
Disabled people encounter a number of problems accessing public transport in Wales
Some positive steps have been taken for example in relation to accessible information on
buses but further steps are needed to comply with CRPD standards
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss
set accessibility standards that apply to all health services in Wales Fewer disabled people
live in households with internet access than non-disabled households
Further action is needed by the Welsh Government to ensure that housing transport
information and digital services are accessible for disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
6
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty and
more data is needed to enable comparisons at the local authority level
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales because the proportion of adults who are disabled andor have a long-term illness
is higher than in Scotland or England It is welcome that the Welsh Government committed
to putting in place mitigating measures and important that these efforts continue
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 aims to place an emphasis on
ensuring that people have voice choice and control over their social care It is important
that Welsh Government and public bodies place the CRPD at the centre of the Actrsquos
implementation
All former Independent Living Fund recipients will have their care and support needs met
through normal social care provision from 31 March 2019 Any future arrangement must
ensure that disabled people continue to receive the support they need to live independently
in the community
Employment (Article 27)
There are a number of barriers to employment for disabled people in Wales including
relatively low qualification levels and negative attitudes of some employers Further action
is needed to address these barriers and close the disability employment gap
Education (Articles 24 7)
The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill presents a clear
opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils with additional learning needs It
is important to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and monitored
Disabled young people in Wales are much more likely than non-disabled young people to
be Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Programmes to reduce the number
of NEETs should include tailored actions for disabled young people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Contents
Introduction 3
UK constitutional arrangements ndash devolution of powers to Wales 3
How to read this document 3
Executive summary 5
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues on the UK 8
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4) 8
CRPD in Welsh law and policy 8
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5) 10
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties 10
Accessibility (Articles 9 21) 10
Housing 11
Transport 12
Information and communication 13
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection (Articles 19 20 26 28) 13
Poverty and material deprivation 14
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people 14
Adult social care and support 16
Independent living funding 16
Employment (Article 27) 17
Employment gap and barriers 18
Education (Articles 24 7) 19
Educational attainment and additional learning needs 19
Transition from school 20
Review of higher education funding 21
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
2
Health and life (Articles 25 10) 21
Inequalities in health access and outcomes 22
Mental healthcare services 23
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16) 24
Bullying 24
Participation in political and public life (Article 29) 25
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government 25
Annex Recommendations 26
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4) 26
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5) 26
Accessibility (Articles 9) 26
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection (Articles 19 20 26 28) 27
Employment (Article 27) 28
Education (Articles 24 7) 28
Health and life (Articles 25 10) 29
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16) 29
Participation in political and public life (Article 29) 29
Contacts 30
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
3
Introduction
This submission has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission
(EHRC) which is part of the UK Independent Mechanism and tasked under Article 33 of the
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to promote protect and
monitor implementation of the CRPD in the UK The EHRC is also a UN-accredited A-
status National Human Rights Institution
UK constitutional arrangements ndash devolution of powers to Wales
The UK Parliament has devolved various powers to the National Assembly for Wales1 The
National Assembly has powers in the 21 subjects set out in the Government of Wales Act
20062 These subjects include local government health social services housing and
education Matters including criminal justice policing welfare benefits and social security
remain the responsibility of the UK Government and Parliament
The Government of Wales Act 2006 states that Acts passed by the National Assembly for
Wales must be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights3
How to read this document
This submission provides additional up to date information and suggested questions about
disability rights in Wales that is not contained in Disability Rights in the UK We have
indicated the CRPD articles relevant to the issues raised within each sub-heading The
issues identified within this submission affect disabled people in Wales and fall within the
responsibility of the Welsh Government There is information in the supplementary England
report with regards to non-devolved matters that is also relevant to Wales We consider
1 The National Assembly for Wales was formed in 1999 following the UK Parliamentrsquos passing of the
Government of Wales Act 1998 2 National Assembly website (2016) Governance of Wales Who is responsible for what Available here
[accessed 20 December 2016] 3 National Assembly website (July 2011) Legislative powers of the National Assembly for Wales p 24
available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
4
these problems to be especially pressing for disabled people in Wales and we recommend
the CRPD Committee considers this information in its preparation of the List of Issues in
relation to the UK
We have also included an annex with recommendations of the measures the Welsh
Government should take to promote and protect disabled peoplersquos rights We will review
these recommendations at the same time as the recommendations in Disability Rights in
the UK ahead of the Committeersquos public examination of the UK In doing so we will take
into account the views of disabled people and information provided by the Welsh
Government in response to the List of Issues
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
5
Executive summary
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Some developments in Welsh law and policy could help to advance implementation of the
CRPD such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The Welsh government should improve compliance with the CRPD by enhancing the status
of the CRPD in Welsh law
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Monitoring has shown that the Public Sector Equality Duty (the general duty) in the Equality
Act 2010 is working effectively in Wales Its implementation is supported by Wales-specific
duties which should be used to promote and protect the CRPD in Wales
Accessibility (Article 9 21)
There are challenges for disabled peoplersquos access to housing in Wales Some measures in
place could help to address this including Accessible Housing Registers
Disabled people encounter a number of problems accessing public transport in Wales
Some positive steps have been taken for example in relation to accessible information on
buses but further steps are needed to comply with CRPD standards
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss
set accessibility standards that apply to all health services in Wales Fewer disabled people
live in households with internet access than non-disabled households
Further action is needed by the Welsh Government to ensure that housing transport
information and digital services are accessible for disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
6
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty and
more data is needed to enable comparisons at the local authority level
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales because the proportion of adults who are disabled andor have a long-term illness
is higher than in Scotland or England It is welcome that the Welsh Government committed
to putting in place mitigating measures and important that these efforts continue
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 aims to place an emphasis on
ensuring that people have voice choice and control over their social care It is important
that Welsh Government and public bodies place the CRPD at the centre of the Actrsquos
implementation
All former Independent Living Fund recipients will have their care and support needs met
through normal social care provision from 31 March 2019 Any future arrangement must
ensure that disabled people continue to receive the support they need to live independently
in the community
Employment (Article 27)
There are a number of barriers to employment for disabled people in Wales including
relatively low qualification levels and negative attitudes of some employers Further action
is needed to address these barriers and close the disability employment gap
Education (Articles 24 7)
The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill presents a clear
opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils with additional learning needs It
is important to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and monitored
Disabled young people in Wales are much more likely than non-disabled young people to
be Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Programmes to reduce the number
of NEETs should include tailored actions for disabled young people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
2
Health and life (Articles 25 10) 21
Inequalities in health access and outcomes 22
Mental healthcare services 23
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16) 24
Bullying 24
Participation in political and public life (Article 29) 25
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government 25
Annex Recommendations 26
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4) 26
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5) 26
Accessibility (Articles 9) 26
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection (Articles 19 20 26 28) 27
Employment (Article 27) 28
Education (Articles 24 7) 28
Health and life (Articles 25 10) 29
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16) 29
Participation in political and public life (Article 29) 29
Contacts 30
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
3
Introduction
This submission has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission
(EHRC) which is part of the UK Independent Mechanism and tasked under Article 33 of the
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to promote protect and
monitor implementation of the CRPD in the UK The EHRC is also a UN-accredited A-
status National Human Rights Institution
UK constitutional arrangements ndash devolution of powers to Wales
The UK Parliament has devolved various powers to the National Assembly for Wales1 The
National Assembly has powers in the 21 subjects set out in the Government of Wales Act
20062 These subjects include local government health social services housing and
education Matters including criminal justice policing welfare benefits and social security
remain the responsibility of the UK Government and Parliament
The Government of Wales Act 2006 states that Acts passed by the National Assembly for
Wales must be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights3
How to read this document
This submission provides additional up to date information and suggested questions about
disability rights in Wales that is not contained in Disability Rights in the UK We have
indicated the CRPD articles relevant to the issues raised within each sub-heading The
issues identified within this submission affect disabled people in Wales and fall within the
responsibility of the Welsh Government There is information in the supplementary England
report with regards to non-devolved matters that is also relevant to Wales We consider
1 The National Assembly for Wales was formed in 1999 following the UK Parliamentrsquos passing of the
Government of Wales Act 1998 2 National Assembly website (2016) Governance of Wales Who is responsible for what Available here
[accessed 20 December 2016] 3 National Assembly website (July 2011) Legislative powers of the National Assembly for Wales p 24
available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
4
these problems to be especially pressing for disabled people in Wales and we recommend
the CRPD Committee considers this information in its preparation of the List of Issues in
relation to the UK
We have also included an annex with recommendations of the measures the Welsh
Government should take to promote and protect disabled peoplersquos rights We will review
these recommendations at the same time as the recommendations in Disability Rights in
the UK ahead of the Committeersquos public examination of the UK In doing so we will take
into account the views of disabled people and information provided by the Welsh
Government in response to the List of Issues
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
5
Executive summary
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Some developments in Welsh law and policy could help to advance implementation of the
CRPD such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The Welsh government should improve compliance with the CRPD by enhancing the status
of the CRPD in Welsh law
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Monitoring has shown that the Public Sector Equality Duty (the general duty) in the Equality
Act 2010 is working effectively in Wales Its implementation is supported by Wales-specific
duties which should be used to promote and protect the CRPD in Wales
Accessibility (Article 9 21)
There are challenges for disabled peoplersquos access to housing in Wales Some measures in
place could help to address this including Accessible Housing Registers
Disabled people encounter a number of problems accessing public transport in Wales
Some positive steps have been taken for example in relation to accessible information on
buses but further steps are needed to comply with CRPD standards
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss
set accessibility standards that apply to all health services in Wales Fewer disabled people
live in households with internet access than non-disabled households
Further action is needed by the Welsh Government to ensure that housing transport
information and digital services are accessible for disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
6
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty and
more data is needed to enable comparisons at the local authority level
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales because the proportion of adults who are disabled andor have a long-term illness
is higher than in Scotland or England It is welcome that the Welsh Government committed
to putting in place mitigating measures and important that these efforts continue
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 aims to place an emphasis on
ensuring that people have voice choice and control over their social care It is important
that Welsh Government and public bodies place the CRPD at the centre of the Actrsquos
implementation
All former Independent Living Fund recipients will have their care and support needs met
through normal social care provision from 31 March 2019 Any future arrangement must
ensure that disabled people continue to receive the support they need to live independently
in the community
Employment (Article 27)
There are a number of barriers to employment for disabled people in Wales including
relatively low qualification levels and negative attitudes of some employers Further action
is needed to address these barriers and close the disability employment gap
Education (Articles 24 7)
The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill presents a clear
opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils with additional learning needs It
is important to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and monitored
Disabled young people in Wales are much more likely than non-disabled young people to
be Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Programmes to reduce the number
of NEETs should include tailored actions for disabled young people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
3
Introduction
This submission has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission
(EHRC) which is part of the UK Independent Mechanism and tasked under Article 33 of the
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to promote protect and
monitor implementation of the CRPD in the UK The EHRC is also a UN-accredited A-
status National Human Rights Institution
UK constitutional arrangements ndash devolution of powers to Wales
The UK Parliament has devolved various powers to the National Assembly for Wales1 The
National Assembly has powers in the 21 subjects set out in the Government of Wales Act
20062 These subjects include local government health social services housing and
education Matters including criminal justice policing welfare benefits and social security
remain the responsibility of the UK Government and Parliament
The Government of Wales Act 2006 states that Acts passed by the National Assembly for
Wales must be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights3
How to read this document
This submission provides additional up to date information and suggested questions about
disability rights in Wales that is not contained in Disability Rights in the UK We have
indicated the CRPD articles relevant to the issues raised within each sub-heading The
issues identified within this submission affect disabled people in Wales and fall within the
responsibility of the Welsh Government There is information in the supplementary England
report with regards to non-devolved matters that is also relevant to Wales We consider
1 The National Assembly for Wales was formed in 1999 following the UK Parliamentrsquos passing of the
Government of Wales Act 1998 2 National Assembly website (2016) Governance of Wales Who is responsible for what Available here
[accessed 20 December 2016] 3 National Assembly website (July 2011) Legislative powers of the National Assembly for Wales p 24
available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
4
these problems to be especially pressing for disabled people in Wales and we recommend
the CRPD Committee considers this information in its preparation of the List of Issues in
relation to the UK
We have also included an annex with recommendations of the measures the Welsh
Government should take to promote and protect disabled peoplersquos rights We will review
these recommendations at the same time as the recommendations in Disability Rights in
the UK ahead of the Committeersquos public examination of the UK In doing so we will take
into account the views of disabled people and information provided by the Welsh
Government in response to the List of Issues
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
5
Executive summary
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Some developments in Welsh law and policy could help to advance implementation of the
CRPD such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The Welsh government should improve compliance with the CRPD by enhancing the status
of the CRPD in Welsh law
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Monitoring has shown that the Public Sector Equality Duty (the general duty) in the Equality
Act 2010 is working effectively in Wales Its implementation is supported by Wales-specific
duties which should be used to promote and protect the CRPD in Wales
Accessibility (Article 9 21)
There are challenges for disabled peoplersquos access to housing in Wales Some measures in
place could help to address this including Accessible Housing Registers
Disabled people encounter a number of problems accessing public transport in Wales
Some positive steps have been taken for example in relation to accessible information on
buses but further steps are needed to comply with CRPD standards
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss
set accessibility standards that apply to all health services in Wales Fewer disabled people
live in households with internet access than non-disabled households
Further action is needed by the Welsh Government to ensure that housing transport
information and digital services are accessible for disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
6
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty and
more data is needed to enable comparisons at the local authority level
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales because the proportion of adults who are disabled andor have a long-term illness
is higher than in Scotland or England It is welcome that the Welsh Government committed
to putting in place mitigating measures and important that these efforts continue
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 aims to place an emphasis on
ensuring that people have voice choice and control over their social care It is important
that Welsh Government and public bodies place the CRPD at the centre of the Actrsquos
implementation
All former Independent Living Fund recipients will have their care and support needs met
through normal social care provision from 31 March 2019 Any future arrangement must
ensure that disabled people continue to receive the support they need to live independently
in the community
Employment (Article 27)
There are a number of barriers to employment for disabled people in Wales including
relatively low qualification levels and negative attitudes of some employers Further action
is needed to address these barriers and close the disability employment gap
Education (Articles 24 7)
The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill presents a clear
opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils with additional learning needs It
is important to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and monitored
Disabled young people in Wales are much more likely than non-disabled young people to
be Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Programmes to reduce the number
of NEETs should include tailored actions for disabled young people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
4
these problems to be especially pressing for disabled people in Wales and we recommend
the CRPD Committee considers this information in its preparation of the List of Issues in
relation to the UK
We have also included an annex with recommendations of the measures the Welsh
Government should take to promote and protect disabled peoplersquos rights We will review
these recommendations at the same time as the recommendations in Disability Rights in
the UK ahead of the Committeersquos public examination of the UK In doing so we will take
into account the views of disabled people and information provided by the Welsh
Government in response to the List of Issues
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
5
Executive summary
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Some developments in Welsh law and policy could help to advance implementation of the
CRPD such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The Welsh government should improve compliance with the CRPD by enhancing the status
of the CRPD in Welsh law
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Monitoring has shown that the Public Sector Equality Duty (the general duty) in the Equality
Act 2010 is working effectively in Wales Its implementation is supported by Wales-specific
duties which should be used to promote and protect the CRPD in Wales
Accessibility (Article 9 21)
There are challenges for disabled peoplersquos access to housing in Wales Some measures in
place could help to address this including Accessible Housing Registers
Disabled people encounter a number of problems accessing public transport in Wales
Some positive steps have been taken for example in relation to accessible information on
buses but further steps are needed to comply with CRPD standards
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss
set accessibility standards that apply to all health services in Wales Fewer disabled people
live in households with internet access than non-disabled households
Further action is needed by the Welsh Government to ensure that housing transport
information and digital services are accessible for disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
6
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty and
more data is needed to enable comparisons at the local authority level
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales because the proportion of adults who are disabled andor have a long-term illness
is higher than in Scotland or England It is welcome that the Welsh Government committed
to putting in place mitigating measures and important that these efforts continue
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 aims to place an emphasis on
ensuring that people have voice choice and control over their social care It is important
that Welsh Government and public bodies place the CRPD at the centre of the Actrsquos
implementation
All former Independent Living Fund recipients will have their care and support needs met
through normal social care provision from 31 March 2019 Any future arrangement must
ensure that disabled people continue to receive the support they need to live independently
in the community
Employment (Article 27)
There are a number of barriers to employment for disabled people in Wales including
relatively low qualification levels and negative attitudes of some employers Further action
is needed to address these barriers and close the disability employment gap
Education (Articles 24 7)
The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill presents a clear
opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils with additional learning needs It
is important to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and monitored
Disabled young people in Wales are much more likely than non-disabled young people to
be Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Programmes to reduce the number
of NEETs should include tailored actions for disabled young people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
5
Executive summary
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Some developments in Welsh law and policy could help to advance implementation of the
CRPD such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The Welsh government should improve compliance with the CRPD by enhancing the status
of the CRPD in Welsh law
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Monitoring has shown that the Public Sector Equality Duty (the general duty) in the Equality
Act 2010 is working effectively in Wales Its implementation is supported by Wales-specific
duties which should be used to promote and protect the CRPD in Wales
Accessibility (Article 9 21)
There are challenges for disabled peoplersquos access to housing in Wales Some measures in
place could help to address this including Accessible Housing Registers
Disabled people encounter a number of problems accessing public transport in Wales
Some positive steps have been taken for example in relation to accessible information on
buses but further steps are needed to comply with CRPD standards
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss
set accessibility standards that apply to all health services in Wales Fewer disabled people
live in households with internet access than non-disabled households
Further action is needed by the Welsh Government to ensure that housing transport
information and digital services are accessible for disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
6
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty and
more data is needed to enable comparisons at the local authority level
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales because the proportion of adults who are disabled andor have a long-term illness
is higher than in Scotland or England It is welcome that the Welsh Government committed
to putting in place mitigating measures and important that these efforts continue
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 aims to place an emphasis on
ensuring that people have voice choice and control over their social care It is important
that Welsh Government and public bodies place the CRPD at the centre of the Actrsquos
implementation
All former Independent Living Fund recipients will have their care and support needs met
through normal social care provision from 31 March 2019 Any future arrangement must
ensure that disabled people continue to receive the support they need to live independently
in the community
Employment (Article 27)
There are a number of barriers to employment for disabled people in Wales including
relatively low qualification levels and negative attitudes of some employers Further action
is needed to address these barriers and close the disability employment gap
Education (Articles 24 7)
The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill presents a clear
opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils with additional learning needs It
is important to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and monitored
Disabled young people in Wales are much more likely than non-disabled young people to
be Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Programmes to reduce the number
of NEETs should include tailored actions for disabled young people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
6
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty and
more data is needed to enable comparisons at the local authority level
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales because the proportion of adults who are disabled andor have a long-term illness
is higher than in Scotland or England It is welcome that the Welsh Government committed
to putting in place mitigating measures and important that these efforts continue
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 aims to place an emphasis on
ensuring that people have voice choice and control over their social care It is important
that Welsh Government and public bodies place the CRPD at the centre of the Actrsquos
implementation
All former Independent Living Fund recipients will have their care and support needs met
through normal social care provision from 31 March 2019 Any future arrangement must
ensure that disabled people continue to receive the support they need to live independently
in the community
Employment (Article 27)
There are a number of barriers to employment for disabled people in Wales including
relatively low qualification levels and negative attitudes of some employers Further action
is needed to address these barriers and close the disability employment gap
Education (Articles 24 7)
The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill presents a clear
opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils with additional learning needs It
is important to ensure that the new system is effectively implemented and monitored
Disabled young people in Wales are much more likely than non-disabled young people to
be Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Programmes to reduce the number
of NEETs should include tailored actions for disabled young people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
7
A 2016 review found that disabled students experience significant barriers to accessing
higher education and the Welsh Government should act upon its recommendations to
overcome obstacles to access
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 found various inequalities including significant geographic variations in access to
healthcare services for disabled people across Wales and noted a lack of evidence Priority
actions need to be identified to address disparities
The need to improve access to mental health services and support people experiencing
poor mental health has been identified as among the most pressing equality and human
rights challenges facing Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
A 2014 review highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The Welsh
Government needs to work with local authorities to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
It is not known how many Welsh National Assembly Members are disabled
In March 2014 a report of the Expert Group on Diversity in Local Government made a
series of recommendations to improve the diversity of councillors in Wales In response the
Welsh Government launched a Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in
September 2015
Further steps are required building on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence among disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
8
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary
submission to inform the CRPD List of Issues
on the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
Disability Rights in the UK4 outlines the extent to which the CRPD is incorporated into
domestic law overall and challenges concerning proposed changes to the Human Rights
Act 1998 and Brexit
This section provides further details on the status of the CRPD in Welsh law- and policy-
formulation
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
The Welsh Government has not enhanced the status of the CRPD in Welsh law in the way
that is has for the CRC The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure
20115 placed a duty on all Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the substantive rights and
obligations within the UNCRC The duty has since been extended so that all Ministers need
to have due regard to the UNCRC when exercising any of their Ministerial functions6
Legislation has not been taken forward to place the CRPD on such a statutory footing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living7 sets out its vision
for taking forward implementation of the CRPD in Wales The Framework is based on four
key values confidence co-operation co-production and choice amp control It identifies
outcomes that include improvements for disabled people in relation to accessing
information and advice housing public transport and public places It is welcome that the
4 UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in
relation to the UK 5 Welsh Government (15 June 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 6 Ibid
7 Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 20
December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
9
Framework provides a strategic approach to disability policy in Wales that explicitly
references the CRPD and it is important that the Framework is used to increase awareness
of the CRPD in Wales However some concerns have been expressed that the Framework
is unsatisfactory including that it doesnrsquot include a commitment to change the law to protect
the right to independent living8
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 20149 states that a person exercising
functions under the Act must have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the UN Principles for Older Persons When passed the Act did not similarly
incorporate the CRPD
The Actrsquos Code of Practice (published 2015)10 does state that in exercising their social
services functions local authorities must ensure that their decisions lsquohave regard to a
personrsquos individual circumstances andhellipthe UN convention on the rights of disabled
peoplersquo This reference to the UNCRPD is welcome However the status of the UNCRPD in
Welsh law is behind that of the UNCRC
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 201511 requires listed bodies to work to
improve the economic social environmental and cultural well-being of Wales One well-
being goal is a more equal Wales where everyone can reach their potential12 The Act
offers the potential to improve services and support for disabled people in Wales
Outcomes will need to be monitored to evidence the Actrsquos impact on disabled peoplersquos
rights in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
1 Can the Welsh Government
Explain how the Framework for Action on Independent Living is advancing CRPD
rights
Set out whether it has plans to enhance the status of the CRPD in Welsh law
8 Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview
available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 9 Welsh Government (2014) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 20
December 2016] 10
Welsh Government (2015) Code of practice in relation to measuring social services performance Issued under section 145 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 p 9 available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 11
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 12
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (8 Oct 2015) Volunteering and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
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an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
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Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
10
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK13 further work is needed to ensure that the Equality
Act 2010 applicable in Wales effectively protects disabled peoplersquos rights This section
includes additional information and suggested questions in relation to specific duties under
the Equality Act in Wales
Equality Act 2010 Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out the steps that
listed bodies in Wales must take in order to demonstrate that they are paying due regard to
the GB-wide general Public Sector Equality Duty14
Monitoring has shown that the duty is working effectively in Wales supporting and helping
progress on equalities work15 The Welsh Government and public authorities have set
equality objectives aimed at bringing about improvements to the lives of disabled people in
Wales For example public bodies have taken forward work to improve access to council
services for disabled people and to address hate crime and harassment that targets
disabled people16
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
2 Can the Welsh Government detail how the PSED specific duties in Wales have
been used to advance the rights of disabled people
Accessibility (Articles 9 21)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK17 disabled people face continued challenges in
accessing housing the built environment transport and information
13
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 14
The Wales-specific requirements include setting equality objectives and plans assessing the equality impacts of policies and procedures and engaging people from protected groups such as disabled people when decisions are being taken See Equality and Human Rights Commission (18 Nov 2016) Guides to the PSED in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 15
Equality and Human Rights Commission (12 May 2016) Our monitoring of the public sector equality duty in Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 16
Mitchell M Beninger K Rahim N and Morrell G (July 2014) Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales NatCen Social Research and Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 17
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
11
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to housing
and information in Wales
Housing
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living commits to
improving access to adapted and accessible housing for disabled people The Framework
identifies the Housing and Rented Homes Bills (now Acts) and the use of Accessible
Housing Registers as key opportunities to bring about improvements18
Part 4 of the Housing (Wales) Act 201419 introduced a range of measures in connection
with the quality of service provided by housing authorities as well as introducing a stronger
homelessness duty Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 201620 landlords will be able to
repossess adapted properties when the tenant no longer needs the adaptations if a
suitable alternative property is provided for the tenant to ensure a greater supply of
accessible housing for disabled people
The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requires all social landlords to improve their
housing stock to an acceptable level by 202021 Guidance on the Standard states that
landlords are expected to lsquotake account of the needs of disabled residents hellipin relation to
bespoke adaptations when preparing (a) programme of improvement worksrsquo22 It also states
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards
Some local authorities have compiled Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs)23 A Welsh
Government report found extensive variation in how the AHRs operated Social landlords
who use an AHR were more likely than those who did not to have an effective system for
identifying accessible or adapted properties to ensure staff have specialist training to
match people to accessible homes and to consider a range of holistic needs24
18
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 19
Welsh Government (15 July 2015) Housing (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 20
Welsh Government (19 January 2016) Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 21
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Welsh Housing Quality Standard available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 22
Welsh Government (July 2008) The Welsh Housing Quality Standard Revised Guidance for Social Landlords on Interpretation and Achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard p 8 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 23
These identify disabled people in need of an accessible home identify suitable properties by location and type and match the person with the property See Dewis Cymru (3 April 2016) The Accessible Housing Register available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 24
Welsh Government (2013) Accessible social housing in Wales a review of systems for assessment recording and matching available here [accessed 30 September 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
12
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
3 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the supply of
accessible housing for disabled people and the extent to which legislation and
policy measures in this area have improved access to housing for disabled
people
Transport
The Public Transport Usersrsquo Advisory Panel to Welsh Government has stated that users
frequently report instances of problems ndash including a lack of access for disabled people ndash
when using public transport in Wales25
In 2010 the National Assemblyrsquos Equality of Opportunity Committee reported half of
railways stations in Wales are not fully accessible to disabled people with 34 having no
access at all for wheelchair users26
The Welsh Government has brought forward various measures to improve the accessibility
of public transport in Wales For example in March 2016 it introduced the Voluntary Welsh
Bus Quality Standard27 This aims to increase the use of features such as audio-visual lsquonext
stoprsquo announcements (introduced following engagement with disabled peoplersquos
organisations) and accessible timetable service information as well as promoting disability-
awareness training for drivers Disabled people benefit from the mandatory concessionary
bus fare scheme in Wales ndash enabling disabled people to travel free of charge across all bus
services in Wales
Further specific improvements for disabled people have included a Charter for Disabled
Public Transport Passengers design guidance ensuring walking and cycling routes are
accessible to all disabled people and extending the Blue Badge Scheme to those
experiencing temporary but substantial injuries or illness28 The Welsh Government stated
that Wales now has the widest Blue Badge eligibility criteria in the UK
25
Welsh Government (October 2010) Research to support the Public Transport Usersrsquo Committee for Wales (PTUC) work on integrated transport available here [accessed 25 September 2016] 26
Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee (October 2010) Inquiry into the Accessibility of Railway Stations in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 27
Welsh Government (29 March 2016) Voluntary Welsh Bus Quality Standard available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 28
Welsh Government (30 September 2016) Blue Badge eligibility criteria expanded available here [accessed 20 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
13
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
4 Can the Welsh Government provide up to date evidence on the accessibility of
public transport Blue Badge and active travel for disabled people
Information and communication
The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss29
set accessibility standards which apply to all health services in Wales In 2015 one year
following the introduction of the standard 91 of patients were not aware of any
improvement particularly in relation to GP services30
In 2010 the Welsh Government commissioned a consortium of learning disability
organisations to develop a website to empower people with learning disabilities and their
families to obtain their right to healthcare To date over 50 documents have been uploaded
to the website31
The Framework for Action on Independent Living Outcomes Measures for 20141532
showed that 70 of disabled adults (aged 16+) lived in households with internet access
compared with 89 of non-disabled households
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
5 Can the Welsh Government outline its plans to improve access to information and
digital services for disabled people
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK33 disabled people are more likely to face poverty
and material deprivation than non-disabled people and have been disproportionately
impacted by social security reforms since 2010 This section provides further details on the
situation for disabled people in Wales
29
NHS Wales (July 2013) All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss available here [accessed 10 December 2016] 30
Sense (24 February 2015) Dignity of deaf blind and deafblind people still not respected by the health service in Wales available here [accessed 26 September 2016] 31
Welsh Government (2013) Framework for Action on Independent Living Op Cit 32
Ibid 33
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
14
Poverty and material deprivation
Disabled people in Wales are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty34 A
report in 2015 found that the poverty rate for families with at least one disabled adult was
33 if disability benefits are excluded from the household income in comparison to 23
for the general population in Wales35
The Well-being of Future Generations Act36 offers opportunities for public bodies to tackle
inequalities related to poverty and disability in a coherent way The draft Wales Bill 2016-
1737 proposes devolving the power to commence the Equality Act 2010 socio-economic
duty to the National Assembly for Wales This duty would offer further opportunities to
tackle poverty in Wales
No information related to disabled peoplersquos poverty is available from the Welsh Index of
Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)38 Comparisons between disabled and non-disabled people at
a local authority level would give more in-depth data in relation to the different types of
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales39
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
6 Can the Welsh Government outline how it is using its various levers to tackle
poverty experienced by disabled people in Wales
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
The impact of UK Government social security reform is likely to be particularly pronounced
in Wales as it lsquohas a higher proportion of adults who are disabled andor with a limiting long-
34
A 2011 report into disability poverty in Wales found that
disabled people in Wales were twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low-income household
33 of disabled people of working age were found to live in poverty higher than anywhere else in the UK When the additional costs of disability are taken into account 50 of working age disabled people in Wales were considered to be living in poverty
31 of households with a disabled adult were living in fuel poverty double the 2004 figure See Allen Joe (7 March 2011) Disability Poverty in Wales Leonard Cheshire Disability p 3 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 35
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2013 available here [accessed 7 October 2016] In addition the report notes found that 55 of disabled people in Wales were not in employment and though Wales has seen greater reductions in these rates since 2009 than elsewhere in the UK the rate of worklessness in Wales remains higher than the rest of UK 36
Welsh Government (8 August 2016) Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 Op Cit 37
UK Parliament (13 September 2016) HL Bill 43 Wales Bill 2016-17 (draft legislation) available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 38
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) provides a comprehensive overview of relative poverty between areas of Wales in the domains (areas) of income employment health education access to services community safety physical environment and housing 39
Note this would not be possible at the lowest areas of the WIMD due to their small populations
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
15
term illness than in Scotland or any English regionrsquo40 A 2013 analysis by the Welsh
Ministerial Task and Finish Group on Welfare Reform41 stated that lsquoalthough the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put in place some protection for disabled
groups via exemptions and increased discretionary housing payments (DHP) there will be
significant impacts on disabled people in Walesrsquo42
2014 and 2015 reports by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the effects of the UK
Governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales43 44 and a Welsh Government report on
the impact of the Summer Budget 2015 also project disproportionate adverse impacts on
disabled people45
As social security and the benefits system is reserved to the UK Government it is welcome
that the Welsh Government committed to putting in place mitigating measures to address
the adverse impacts of welfare reform on disabled people (and other protected groups)
where possible46 For example the Welsh Government introduced Additional Discretionary
Housing Payments intended to support tenants affected by welfare reform to move
property or mitigate the impacts in the short term A 2014 evaluation47 showed that many
local authorities used these payments to support disabled people to remain in adapted
properties and to mitigate the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
7 Can the Welsh Government outline how it plans to mitigate as far as it can any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
40
Welsh Government (September 2014) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Wales p 32 See also the impact on Wales projected by Beatty Christina and Fothergill Steve (April 2013) lsquoHitting the poorest places hardest the local and regional impact of welfare reformrsquo Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Sheffield Hallam University available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 41
Welsh Government (July 2013) Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms in Wales ndash Stage 3 analysis Part 1 Impacts on those with protected characteristics available here [accessed 7 October 2016] 42
Ibid p 4 43
Phillips David (2 July 2014) The distributional effects of the UK governmentrsquos tax and welfare reforms in Wales an update Institute for Fiscal Studies available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 44
Browne James (November 2015) The impact of the UK governmentrsquos tax welfare and minimum wage reforms in Wales IFS Report R110 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 45
Welsh Government (September 2015) Summer Budget 2015 The impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare personal tax and minimum wage reforms in Wales available here [accessed 1 November 2016] 46
Welsh Government (17 July 2013) Written Statement ndash Analysing the impact of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms on those with protected characteristics in Wales ndash Stage 3 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] Their approach focuses on lsquotackling poverty and on action to build resilient communities alongside local government the third sector and Communities First clustersrsquo 47
Welsh Government (August 2014) Evaluation of Additional Discretionary Housing Payments Funding provided by the Welsh Government to Local Authorities in Wales for 201314 available here [accessed 1 November 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
16
Adult social care and support
Direct Payments support disabled people to take control of and arrange their own care and
support to live independently Numbers of direct payments service users have increased
annually from 2010-11 to 2013-14 over 51 over the 4 years48
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force in April 201649 50 It
represents a major change to social care in Wales putting prevention and promotion of
well-being for everyone who has care or support needs on a statutory footing for the first
time The Act aims to place an emphasis on ensuring that people have voice choice and
control over their social care51
Various concerns were raised during the Actrsquos development52 including that there is a duty
of due regard referenced on the face of the Act in relation to the UN CRC and the UN
Principles for Older Persons which does not apply to the CRPD (see the section on
enhancing status of CRPD above) In addition while a narrow interpretation of eligibility
criteria has been rejected by the Minister for Health and Social Services53 and clarified in
guidance54 it is yet to be seen how successfully the Act will promote the rights of disabled
people in Wales
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
8 Can the Welsh Government outline how the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 will be used to promote the CRPD in Wales
Independent living funding
The UK Governmentrsquos Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 201555
In order to continue support for individuals a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent
Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 201756 As a result of
48
Welsh Government (2015) Annual Report on Equality 2014-2015 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 49
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 50
Welsh Government (July 2016) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 The Essentials p 6 available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 51
Clements Luke (14 December 2016) The Social Services amp Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 An Overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 52
Ibid p 5 53
Mark Drakeford The Minister for Health and Social Services National Assembly for Wales The Record of Proceedings 14072015 54
Welsh Government (2015) Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 4 Code of Practice (Meeting Needs) p 8 Para 33 available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 55
Independent Living Fund About us available here [accessed 10 October 2016] 56
Welsh Government (1 July 2015) Wales replaces the axed UK Independent Living Fund available here [accessed 10 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
17
the funding support transferred from the UK Government funding in Wales for this interim
arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients
In November 2016 the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former
ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care
provision having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social
Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201457 This arrangement will aim to ensure that all
disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from
a stakeholder advisory group However various disability organisations in Wales had
advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a
citizen directed system of support58 rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh
Government
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
9 Can the Welsh Government explain
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019 rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the
Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Disability Rights in the UK59 lays out the employment gap for disabled people across the UK
and UK Government initiatives aiming to close the gap and outlines the barriers to
recruitment and retention It also notes the disability pay gap
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to Wales-
specific initiatives
57
Welsh Government (3 November 2016) Written statement ndash Future Support Arrangements in Wales for Former Independent Living Fund Recipients available here [accessed 4 November 2016] 58
Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru (December 2014) ILF reform consultation briefing available here [accessed 17 January 2017] 59
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
18
Employment gap and barriers
Employment relates to many issues reserved to the UK Government (and explored in the
main report) Nevertheless in its Equality Objectives for 2012-201660 and 2016-202061 the
Welsh Government committed to lsquoIdentify and reduce the causes of employment skills and
pay inequalities related tohellipdisability (and other protected characteristics)rsquo62
In 201516 the employment rate for 16-64 year-olds in Wales was 426 for disabled
people compared to 781 for non-disabled people63 (a difference of 355 percentage
points) The employment rate for disabled people in Wales was lower than that of Great
Britain overall64 In 201011 the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 394
compared to 731 of non-disabled people65 (a difference of 337 percentage points) The
employment rates for both disabled and non-disabled people had risen over the period but
the employment gap had not reduced
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Framework for Action on Independent Living66 identifies barriers
to employment for disabled people in Wales that include
relatively low skill and qualification levels67
physical barriers to taking up employment opportunities such as access to transport
buildings and housing
Digital barriers such as a lack of adaptions when organisations only advertised
vacancies online andor electronically
negative and inflexible attitudes of some employers and
lack of awareness of support available eg of the GB-wide Access to Work scheme
The Welsh Government has taken forward various initiatives to improve the employment
rate of disabled people These include Getting Ahead 2 a pound10 million programme launched
60
Welsh Government (April 2012) Strategic Equality Plan and Objectives 2012-2016 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 61
Welsh Government (August 2016) Equality Objectives 2016-2020 available here [accessed 13 October 2016] 62
Ibid 63
EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table EG11 64
Ibid Comparing the employment rates and disability employment gap in Wales to other countries in Britain and Britain as a whole 476 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people aged 16-64 were employed in Great Britain a difference of 315 percentage points 486 of disabled people and 792 of non-disabled people were employed in England a difference of 306 percentage points 418 of disabled people and 796 of non-disabled people in Scotland a difference of 379 percentage points 65
Ibid 66
Welsh Government (25 November 2014) Framework for Action on Independent Living available here [accessed 30 September 2016] 67
lsquoDue to factors such as absence from education during childhood barriers to accessing mainstream provision lack of specialist provision where needed and low expectations ndash of staff and parents and sometimes disabled people themselvesrsquo
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
19
to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilitiesdifficulties andor
autism68
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
10 Can the Welsh Government provide evidence of the effectiveness of measures it
has taken to reduce the disability employment gap and tackle barriers to work for
disabled people
Education (Articles 24 7)
As noted in Disability Rights in the UK69 children with special educational needs (SEN)
continue to perform worse than those without SEN In addition children with SEN are more
likely to be excluded from school and face problems transitioning from school to further
education or employment
This section provides additional information and suggested questions relevant to Wales on
educational attainment reforms to additional learning needs transition from school and
higher education funding
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
The First Minister has made a commitment to addressing educational attainment gaps70 71
and it is identified as an objective within the Welsh Governmentrsquos Equality Objectives 2016ndash
202072
The Welsh Government is currently aiming to transform the additional learning needs
system in Wales A central aspect of this Transformation Programme is the Additional
Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill73 which lsquowill reform the current legal
68
Welsh Government (4 March 2016) pound10 million to boost employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities andor learning difficulties available here [accessed 30 September 2016] The programme will run until 2021 and aims to work with 1000 young people aged 16 to 25 who have a learning disability andor difficulty supporting them to find and undertake a paid work placement lasting between six and twelve months 69
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK 70
Jones Carwyn (4 October 2016) Debate ndash Government priorities and the legislative programme The Record of Proceedings National Assembly for Wales 1708 available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 71
Dauncey Michael (10 November 2016) Additional Learning Needs In Brief available here [accessed 15 November 2016] 72
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 73
Welsh Government (updated 6 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
20
frameworks for supporting children and young people with special education needs (SEN)
and learning difficulties andor disabilities (LDD)rsquo74 The new system will aim to improve the
planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with additional learning needs
(ALN) placing learnersrsquo needs views wishes and feelings at the heart of the process75
The proposals have some similarities to those being implemented in England insofar as
they involve more integrated services and better transparency76 The draft Bill was laid
before the National Assembly for Wales and begin the legislative process on 12 December
201677 The Bill presents a clear opportunity to improve the educational attainment of pupils
with ALN especially through multi-disciplinary Individual Development Plans
However some remaining areas of concern raised by stakeholders78 include
further detail and clarification is needed on implementation and operation of the new
statutory framework
sufficient workforce capacity and funding should be available to implement the new
system
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
11 Can the Welsh Government state how the ALN Bill will be used to promote and
protect the right to education of disabled people in Wales
Transition from school
Disabled young people are much more likely than non-disabled young people to be Not in
Education Employment or Training (NEET) 79 in Wales80 The Welsh Governmentrsquos
74
Davies Alun (updated 1 July 2016) Written Statement ndash Update on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill Welsh Government available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 75
Welsh Government (3 June 2016) Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 76
Ibid 77
National Assembly for Wales (2016) Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 20 December 2016] 78
Respondents to a consultation in relation to the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill in 2015 were generally supportive of the proposals set out within the draft Bill However several main areas of concern were recorded See Welsh Government (5 July 2015) Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 79
Wales Audit Office (10 July 2014) Young people not in education employment or training available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 80
Between 201011 and 201516 there was no change in the proportion of 16-18 year-olds who were NEET in Wales for disabled or non-disabled people In 201516 a greater proportion of disabled 16-18 year-olds were NEET (179
80) compared with non-disabled (67) with a high percentage of those with mental health
conditions being NEET (277) compared with non-disabled people See EHRC (forthcoming 2017) Being disabled in Britain and associated data table CE17
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
21
Equality Objectives 2016-202081 include a commitment to tackling the number of young
people who are NEET
Review of higher education funding
The Diamond review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in
Wales82 (published September 2016) found that disabled students experience significant
barriers in accessing higher education83 84 The Review Panel suggested that Welsh
Government should continue current targeted grants for disabled students and in
consultation with HM Treasury consider whether further assistance to overcome remaining
challenges can be offered to disabled students In October 2016 the Welsh Government
accepted the recommendations put forward by the Diamond review in principle85
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
12 Can the Welsh Government state how it intends to take forward the
recommendations of the Diamond review of higher education funding in Wales
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
As laid out in Disability Rights in the UK86 disabled people face a number of health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision requires improvement In additional many
people with a learning disability or autism are inappropriately detained in psychiatric
hospitals and there is evidence of lsquoDo Not Resuscitatersquo orders being inappropriately placed
on disabled people
This section provides additional information and suggested questions in relation to health
inequalities and mental healthcare provision in Wales
81
Welsh Government (15 December 2016) Equality objectives Op Cit 82
Professor Diamond was supported by an expert Review Panel to conduct a review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements in Wales lsquoWidening accessrsquo was among the reviewrsquos priorities See Welsh Government (27 September 2016) Independent review of higher education funding and student finance arrangements available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 83
The Report noted that lsquoWith regard to other targeted grants in 201415 3500 students were paid pound78m Disabled Studentsrsquo Allowance (DSA) compared to 3400 students who were paid pound84m for academic year 201314 In addition 3000 students were awarded pound87m targeted support other than DSA for the academic year 201415 compared to 2900 applicants awarded pound83m in 201314 p 26 Welsh Government (27 September 2016) The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales Final Report available here [accessed 14 October 2016] 84
Ibid p 9 85
Jones Carwyn Op Cit 1708 86
UK Independent Mechanism (2017) Disability Rights in the UK submission to inform the list of issues in relation to the UK
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
22
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
A review of inequalities in access to health services for disabled people in Wales published
in 2015 reported that
only 24 of people with depression and anxiety disorders had received any form of
treatment
many deaf and hard of hearing people were forced to make contact with their GP in a
method that was not optimal and 90 of GP surgeries in Wales did not offer suitable
alternatives for making appointments There were also barriers to arranging
interpretation or communication support
there are significant geographic variations in access to healthcare services for disabled
people across Wales particularly in terms of mental health and rehabilitation services
there are seen to be negative and disproportional impacts on the health outcomes of
disabled people as a direct result of the Welfare Reform Act87
The review also highlighted a lsquoa severe lack of published evidence in terms of access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Walesrsquo88
The Learning Disability Annual Health Check programme was initially introduced in 2006 as
an lsquoevidence-based health screen for people aged 18 years and over who are on social
services registers for learning disabilityrsquo89 A 2010 report produced by NHS Wales90 found
that 41 of people over 16 on learning disability registers in 200809 had taken up health
checks a 43 increase over the first year health checks were offered and a 6 increase
from 200708 The review also found that there were geographic differences in uptake
across Wales not everyone was aware that they were entitled to a health check or aware
about what they are and concerns about lack of guidance for GPs on social interaction with
people with a learning disability
A key theme from the report concerned the need for accessible advice The Welsh
Government has supported third sector organisations91 to produce an Easy Read website
87
Welsh Government (15 October 2015) Review of Evidence of Inequalities in Access to Healthcare Services for Disabled People in Wales Executive Summary available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 88
Smith Shaun (15 October 2015) Review of evidence of inequalities in access to health services in Wales Welsh Government available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 89
1000 Lives Improvement (updated 16 February 2012) Learning Disability Annual Health Check available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 90
Bartley Stuart Felce David Kerr Mike Perry Jonathan and Tomlinson Judith (February 2010) Monitoring the public health impact of health checks for adults with a learning disability in Wales Final report of the joint Public Health WalesWCLD project NHS Wales available here [accessed 24 October 2016] 91
Learning Disability Wales Mencap Cymru All Wales People First and All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
23
with information on health topics and health checks to address the lack of awareness of
health checks and a lack of accessible information92 93
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
13 Can the Welsh Government explain what systems it has in place to collect
evidence on health outcomes and access for disabled people in Wales
Mental healthcare services
The Equality and Human Rights Commission Walesrsquo Is Wales Fairer report94 identifies the
need to lsquoimprove access to mental health services and support people experiencing poor
mental healthrsquo as one of the seven most pressing equality and human rights challenges
facing Wales
An Inquiry by the Children Young People and Education Committee in 2014 stated that
there had been a 100 increase in demand for child and adolescent mental health services
CAMHS in the last four years and concluded that current services did not have sufficient
capacity to meet demand95 The Committee said that the CAMHS National Improvement
Plan published in March 2014 would not have sufficient impact to deliver the scale of
change needed
The Welsh Governmentrsquos Together for Mental Health Strategy published in 201296 is a 10-
year plan to improve the mental well-being of all residents in Wales97 As of 2015 the
Welsh Government announced an extra pound156m will be invested every year in mental
health services in Wales taking the total investment to over pound600m per annum98
92
Easy Read Health Wales (2012) About Easy Read Health Wales available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 93
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (January 2015) Easy Read ndash About health checks available here [accessed 14 November 2016] 94
Equality and Human Rights Commission (1 December 2015) Is Wales Fairer Report Op Cit 95
The number of referrals to CAMHS in Wales has nearly doubled from 1204 to 2342 between April 2010 and July 2014 National Assembly for Wales (2014) Children Inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Young People and Education Committee available here [accessed 15 September 2015] 96
Welsh Government (26 October 2016) Together for Mental Health A Strategy for Mental Health and Well-being in Wales available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 97
The high level outcomes of the strategy address mental wellbeing for the whole population better recognising and reducing the impact of mental health problems and illnesses on individuals families and communities better experiences of care and support received and increased voice and control and access to quality preventative measures early intervention and treatment leading to more people recovering It also covers important outcomes for disabled people reducing inequalities stigma and discrimination around mental illness and improving the values attitudes and skills of treatment and support staff 98
NHS Wales (3 November 2015) New measures to ensure faster mental health treatment in Wales available here [accessed 17 January 2017]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
24
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
14 Can the Welsh Government state what action it is taking to address the challenge
of improving access to mental health services in Wales
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
A 2014 review99 highlighted the continued prevalence of bullying in Welsh schools with
pupils with special needs or a disability at particular risk of being bullied The review also
found varying levels of understanding among schoolsrsquo staff of what would count as a
lsquoreportable incidentrsquo owing to no agreed definition of bullying that is understood by the
school community as a whole Even in schools that were better equipped to deal with
bullying there remained a lack of common understanding of the importance and legal
implications of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 The review also
found that many schoolsrsquo strategic equality plans did not lsquopay enough attention to the full
range of protected characteristicsrsquo In particular the Equality Act 2010 appears to have
resulted in some confusion particularly for primary schools in the difference between a
disability equality plan and a strategic equality plan leading to actions relating to protected
characteristics potentially failing to appear in either plan Indeed not all schools surveyed
identified lsquoreducing bullying on the grounds of protected characteristicsrsquo as one of their
equality objectives100
In 2011 the Welsh Government published lsquoRespecting othersrsquo101 a series of anti-bullying
materials and guidance which included bullying around special educational needs and
disabilities
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
15 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to tackle the bullying of
disabled pupils
99
Estyn (2014) lsquoAction on bullying A review of the effectiveness of action taken by schools to address bullying on the grounds of pupilsrsquo protected characteristicsrsquo available here [accessed 21 December 2016] 100
Ibid p 6 101
Welsh Government (2011) Respecting others anti-bullying overview available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
25
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
Comprehensive data about the diversity of National Assembly for Wales Members is not
collected so it is not known how many disabled Assembly Members there are102
A survey of Welsh councillors carried out in 2012 found that 14 per cent of elected
councillors considered themselves to be disabled103 In March 2014 a report of the Expert
Group on Diversity in Local Government made a series of recommendations to improve the
diversity of councillors in Wales The group recommended that the Welsh Government
consider the evaluation of the Access to Elected Office project operated in English elections
with a view to offering support to candidates for local elections in Wales104 The Welsh
Government committed to considering how the scheme operated to inform future initiatives
in Wales105 In acting on the grouprsquos recommendations the Welsh Government launched a
Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme in September 2015 which attracted in
excess of 50 councillors interested in being mentors and 50 people from under-represented
groups signed up as mentees106 107
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks
16 Can the Welsh Government outline what action it is taking to improve the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
17 Can the Welsh Government detail how many of the mentors and mentees
participating in its Diversity in Democracy Mentoring Programme are disabled
people and how effective the programme is expected to be in increasing the
representation of disabled people in Welsh political life
102
EHRC (September 2015) Smoothing the Pathway to Politics for Disabled People Equality and Human Rights Commission response to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities call for evidence on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 103
A total of 3201 responses were collected in the study from 21 local authorities a response rate of 35 Welsh Government (2 May 2014) Local Government Candidates Survey 2012 p 13 available here [accessed 14 April 2016] 104
Welsh Government (March 2014) Report of the Expert Group on Local Government Diversity available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 105
Welsh Government (March 2014) Expert grouprsquos action plan and timetable and Welsh Government responses available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 106
The programme is looking for people who are one or more of the following 45 or under female lesbian gay bisexual or transgender from an ethnic minority or disabled Welsh Government (13 December 2016) Diversity in democracy programme Launch article available here [accessed 6 December 2016] 107
Welsh Government (13 October 2016) Cabinet Secretary praises progress of diversity in democracy programme available here [accessed 21 December 2016]
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
26
Annex Recommendations
The following recommendations are for the Welsh Government in relation to disabled
peoplersquos rights in Wales They are supplementary to the recommendations included in
Disability Rights in the UK
Enhancing the status of CRPD in domestic law (Articles 3 4)
CRPD in Welsh law and policy
1 The Welsh Government should
build the CRPD into legislation in a similar way to the UNCRC
use opportunities afforded by the Well-being of Future Generations Act to promote the
CRPD
Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)
Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties
2 The Welsh Government should ensure that the PSED Specific Duties in Wales are used
to promote and protect the UNCRPD and wider human rights in Wales
Accessibility (Articles 9)
Housing
3 The Welsh Government should
monitor the implementation of Part 4 of Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ascertain whether they succeed in increasing the supply of
and reducing waiting times for accessible housing
monitor the impact of housing standards in providing appropriate accessible housing for
disabled people
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
27
promote and improve the use of Accessible Housing Registers (AHRs) to match
disabled people with accessible or adapted properties more quickly
Transport
4 The Welsh Government should take further steps to improve the accessibility of public
transport setting priorities and targets in consultation with disabled people
5 The Welsh Government should explore how best it can ascertain if the expanded criteria
of the Blue Badge Scheme is successful in promoting accessibility for disabled people in
Wales
Information and communication
6 The Welsh Government should ensure that services are aware of what accessible
communication is how it is implemented and what their duties are including closing the
digital inclusion gap This is especially important for Government departments and
public bodies
Independent and adequate standard of living and social protection
(Articles 19 20 26 28)
Poverty and material deprivation
7 The Welsh Government should
ensure that tailored and targeted support for disabled people is available within tackling
poverty initiatives
capture data relating to poverty and differences between disabled and non-disabled
people in the WIMD and the index of Child Deprivation
Disproportionate impact of social security reforms on disabled people
8 The Welsh Government should continue efforts to mitigate as far as possible any
adverse impacts on disabled people of the UK Governmentrsquos welfare reforms
Adult social care and support
9 The Welsh Government should
monitor the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in terms of
the CRPD rights especially articles 19 and 28
ensure that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is implemented in a
way that progresses CRPD rights in Wales
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
28
Independent living funding
10 The Welsh Government should ensure that Welsh Independent Living Grant recipients
and disabled people with complex care needs continue to receive the care and support
they require to live independent lives from 2019
Employment (Article 27)
Employment gap and barriers
11 The Welsh Government should ensure that supporting disabled people into employment
is a target within employment and skills programmes
Education (Articles 24 7)
Educational attainment and additional learning needs
12 The Welsh Government should
ensure that the implementation of the new system that follows the passing of the
Additional Leaning Needs Bill is adequately resourced to contribute to closing the
educational attainment gaps for disabled pupils
monitor the impact of the measures in the Additional Learning Needs Bill once enacted
on outcomes for disabled children
Transition from school
13 The Welsh Government should ensure that programmes to reduce the number of
NEETs include tailored and targeted actions to support disabled young people to remain
in or pursue education training or employment
Review of higher education funding
14 The Welsh Government should consider the recommendations of the Diamond review of
higher education funding in Wales with regard to disabled students in order to remove
barriers to education and improve attainment levels
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
29
Health and life (Articles 25 10)
Inequalities in health access and outcomes
15 The Welsh Government should
identify priority actions to address inequalities in physical and mental health access and
outcomes for disabled people
identify actions to address the lack of published evidence relating to access to
healthcare services for disabled people in Wales especially outcome-based monitoring
ensure that access to health services for learning disabled people and uptake of annual
health checks continues to be monitored and evaluated including geographic variations
across Wales
establish programmes to improve accessible information and health literacy for people
with learning disabilities
Freedom from exploitation violence and abuse (Article 16)
Bullying
16 The Welsh Government should work with local authorities to determine the best way to
ensure schools collect qualitative and quantitative data on identity-based bullying for all
protected characteristics and use the data to develop strategies to protect pupils
Participation in political and public life (Article 29)
Representation and participation in the National Assembly and local government
17 The Welsh Government should build on current initiatives to tackle barriers and build
confidence amongst disabled people interested in standing for elected office and to
support newly elected councillors in their first term of office
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
Disability rights in Wales Supplementary submission to inform the CRPD List of issues on the UK
30
Contacts
This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from the
Commissionrsquos website wwwequalityhumanrightscom
For advice information or guidance on equality discrimination or human rights issues
please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service a free and independent service
Website wwwequalityadvisoryservicecom
Telephone 0808 800 0082
Textphone 0808 800 0084
Hours 0900 to 2000 (Monday to Friday)
1000 to 1400 (Saturday)
Post FREEPOST Equality Advisory Support Service FPN4431
Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to
correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom The Commission welcomes your feedback
Alternative formats
This publication is also available as a Microsoft Word file from
wwwequalityhumanrightscom For information on accessing a Commission publication in
an alternative format please contact correspondenceequalityhumanrightscom
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
You can download this publication from
copy 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission
Published February 2017
wwwequalityhumanrightscom
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